Sunday, October 02, 2011

The Brassica Bed

Rutabagas: Angela on the left and Joan on the right. This year, I tried planting them in six packs in August to plant out at the end of the September, rather than direct-seeding. I hope this gives me big rutabagas when I want them, in the middle of winter, rather than in the warming spring.
Broccoli: Umpqua. DeCicco kept disappointing me for standard heading non-hybrid broccoli. I'm giving Umpqua a spin this year.
 
   
Cabbage: January King, an oldie that I've never grown. 
Kale: Lacinato, the only kale I'm growing this year.
Broccoli: Purple Sprouting. My favorite brassica of last year returns to the ranchito to prove itself in a second year. I won't get florets until the spring, but if they're anything like last year, they'll be amazing.
Cabbage: Beira Tronchuda Portuguese Cabbage. Is it kale, is it collards, is it cabbage? Whatever it is, it promises to have large, fleshy, sweet leaves. I look forward to trying it as it matures.

Fall is still falling, but I'm hanging on. Despite my best intentions and a real desire to spend more time writing and cooking, I have neither much to say nor much to share tonight. However, no matter what, the garden still grows on.

7 comments:

Gina said...

Your fall garden looks fabulous. I need to get to planting some more broccoli and cauliflower - I don't think we could ever have too much broccoli.

Did you see that it is supposed to be in the 60s (as a high) in the middle of this upcoming week? I am practically giddy with happiness at the cooler fall weather.

Djuna said...

I have had miserable success with heading broccoli here. Aphids, aphids, or just plain wimpy.

Thanks for posting even without the glee.

No curly kale? My seeds (seedsavers) should arrive in the mail any day now... my kids eat 2 bunches of kale a week lately, so any bit I can grow should help out.

Oh, I have some Red Toch descendants from your garden - with the disease problems last year, would you like some back to repopulate?

Dave said...

I'm anxious to try the Beira Tronchuda too. I got mine out in August and it is doing well. And it looks like collards to me.

Robert Brenchley said...

I'm growing another couve tronchuda, Gloire de Portugal. I don't have much idea what collards look like, but I'd describe it as a non-hearting cabbage. I've never discovered what the technical distinction between kale and cabbage is, but the leaves are far bigger than any kale I've come across.

Lucy said...

purple sprouting broccoli = wonderful! i'm with you - it's addictive. love it chopped up with anchovies in a pasta sauce.

the good soup said...

thank silence for the garden. I love brassicas, but I'm having such trouble dealing with the cabbage moth here in subtropical Brisbane...

Meghan (Making Love In The Kitchen) said...

If I has a garden- I fear I'd eat every while it was still sprouts :)